Cold feet(67)
Author: Brenda Novak

"You’re Ellis Purcell’s daughter, aren’t you?"

Madison curled her fingernails into her palms, feeling doubly betrayed that Caleb hadn’t even bothered to keep quiet about the fact that he was playing her for a fool. "Did Caleb tell you that?"

"Of course. We’re still very close." She took a picture off the refrigerator. "Is this your daughter?"

Holly held a photo of Brianna at the zoo. "Yes."

"What a cute little girl."

Her words were nice enough, but they were spoken almost tonelessly. And the way Holly stared at the picture made Madison want to yank it away. "She’s a good girl. Most of the time, anyway," she said, watching Holly closely.

"I’ve always wanted a child."

Madison remembered Caleb telling her that he and Holly had lost a baby due to miscarriage. She would have felt sympathy except that Holly seemed so emotionally detached. Her comment had sounded like a casual observation.

"What is it you came to tell me, Holly?" Madison asked, anxious to bring their "little talk" to a close.

Holly tacked the picture back onto the fridge and turned. "Caleb’s only interested in you because of who are you are," she said. "He thinks if he can solve this case, he’ll finally reel in the one that got away. The big one. You know what I mean? That’s all it is. It isn’t you or–" she waved at the pictures of Brianna "–or your little girl that he likes."

Madison hated hearing what Holly was saying, but she couldn’t argue with it because Holly was right. Caleb had only moved into the cottage because she was Ellis Purcell’s daughter. But common sense told her that Holly wouldn’t have shown up at her door unless she was feeling threatened in some way. "Holly, since you’ve been so candid with me, I think I’ll do you the same favor," she said.

Holly’s eyebrows shot up and she straightened, giving Madison the impression that she was surprised her revelation hadn’t reduced Madison to tears. "What?"

"Caleb’s over you. If you’re smart, you’ll forget him and move on with your life."

Which is exactly what I plan to do. But she knew forgetting Caleb was going to be much easier said than done. Especially when she heard a car turn in at the drive and her heart leaped into her throat at the thought that it was probably him.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

THE IMPATIENCE CALEB FELT whenever Holly contacted him lately returned with a vengeance the moment he saw her car. Since it was Sunday, the ferry had been moving more quickly than usual. He’d made the drive from south Seattle in less than forty minutes, yet she’d beaten him here. Even after he’d told her to give him an hour. No wonder he’d moved to San Francisco.

Scowling, he put the Mustang in Park and cut the engine. He needed a few minutes alone with Madison, but he had to get rid of Holly first–wherever she was. He was fairly certain he’d locked the door to the cottage, so she couldn’t be inside. And she wasn’t sitting in her car.

He got out and started across the drive. When he’d cleared the arbor, he could see more of the cottage, where he expected to find Holly hunched against the rain, waiting for him under the eaves. But he saw no one until he was just a few feet away from Madison’s house. Then the door opened and Holly dashed out, nearly running into him.

"Whoa, take it easy," he said, dodging her.

She glanced from him to Madison, who was standing in the doorway behind her. "You wouldn’t even be here if it wasn’t for me, Caleb," she said, her face full of fury.

"Holly–"

"I don’t want to talk about it," she said, and marched to her car.

"What about your purse?" he called after her, but she’d already slammed her door and started the engine. Throwing the transmission in reverse, she gave it far more gas than necessary and tore out of the drive.

"THANKS FOR DETAILING my identity and your plans for me to your ex-wife," Madison said as the echo of Holly’s squealing tires died away. "I guess I was the only one who didn’t know, huh?"

"It wasn’t like that," Caleb said.

"What was it like?"

"Would it make a difference if I told you?"

"Should it?"

He raked a hand through his hair. "I don’t know," he said with a sigh. "But we need to talk." His somber expression and his tone told Madison that he wanted to discuss more than just their relationship.

Prickles of fear raced down her spine. Had he found something? Something she wouldn’t like?

"Okay," she said, and held open the door, steeling herself for whatever would follow. But then Danny’s Jaguar pulled into the drive, and Brianna got out.

"Hi, Caleb," she called and ran over the lawn to give him a big hug. "I’m home early!"

Madison waited her turn for a hug from Brianna, then crossed the wet lawn to collect Brianna’s bag from Danny. "It’s only ten o’clock," she said when he handed it to her. "What’s going on?"

"I decided I’d better go in to the office today. I’m behind at work."

"You couldn’t have called to let me know you were bringing Brianna home now?"

"You asked me to bring her home early," he said.

Madison sighed. "It would have been nice if you’d arranged it."

He shrugged and got back in his car. "I knew you’d be here," he said simply, and drove off.

Madison turned, trudging back to Caleb and Brianna. Caleb had lifted Brianna into his arms, and she was busy telling him all about the new fish her father had bought this weekend to add to her aquarium.

"Let’s get out of the rain," Madison suggested, and felt the pressure of Caleb’s hand on her back as they hurried inside. He pulled away to close the door, but not before she recognized that, no matter what he’d done, she still longed for his touch.

Evidently she was an even bigger fool than she’d thought.

"Well?" she said as he put Brianna down.

Caleb gave a subtle nod that let Madison know he was concerned about Brianna overhearing what he had to say. "Is there someplace we could be alone?"

"Johnny’s here, too," she said.

"Then maybe I should go home. We can talk on the phone." But he didn’t turn to leave right away. He stood there staring at her, making her feel self-conscious about her damp, tangled hair and hastily donned robe, even though he was mostly looking at her lips.

"Why’s everyone up so early?" Johnny asked, stumbling into the living room with a yawn.

Grateful for the interruption, Madison broke eye contact with Caleb. "Brianna’s home," she told him.

CALEB PEELED OFF his clothes on the way to his bedroom, planning to climb beneath the sheets and pass out for a few hours. But he still had to call Madison, prepare her for the fact that Tye would probably be arrested. He knew she’d have divided feelings. Horror that her own half brother could be capable of such violence. Sympathy for the way it was going to affect his wife and children. Vindication that she’d been right about her father all along.